Good Friday morning. THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: “President Trump chooses inexperienced woman who planned his son Eric’s wedding to run N.Y. federal housing programs,” by Greg Smith: “She’s arranged tournaments at Trump golf courses, served as the liaison to the Trump family during his presidential campaign, and even arranged Eric Trump’s wedding. Now President Trump has appointed longtime loyalist Lynne Patton — who has zero housing experience and claims a law degree the school says she never earned — to run the office that oversees federal housing programs in New York.

“Patton was appointed Wednesday to head up the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Region II, which includes New York and New Jersey, where she’ll oversee distribution of billions of taxpayer dollars. Patton’s tight relationship with the Trump clan dates back to 2009, when she began serving as the family’s ‘event planner.’ … She also claims on her LinkedIn page to have obtained a juris doctorate degree in 2000 from Quinnipiac University School of Law in Connecticut. Next to the J.D. notation is written (N/A) without explanation. On Thursday school registrar Jim Benson said Patton attended for two semesters but did not graduate. She also listed Yale University but HUD officials couldn’t explain why that was there. Patton, who begins her Region II job July 5, did not return calls seeking comment.

“As head of the biggest HUD regional office in the U.S., Patton will oversee distribution of billions in cash to public housing authorities — including NYCHA — as well as tens of thousands of rental vouchers and block grants that fund housing inspections and senior citizen programs.” http://nydn.us/2sikxU8

THE U.S. is sending 4,000 more troops to Afghanistan, per the AP. http://apne.ws/2s88SsE Donald Trump ran for president saying he’d end foreign entanglements. PRESIDENT TRUMP is going to Miami today to announce changes to the U.S. policy toward Cuba.

FLASH — AP at 5:09 a.m.: “Russia claims it has killed IS leader al-Baghdadi,” by Bassem Mroue in Beirut and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow: “The Russian Defense Ministry said Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a Russian strike in late May along with other senior group commanders. There had been previous reports of al-Baghdadi being killed but they did not turn out to be true. The IS leader last released an audio on Nov. 3, urging his followers to keep up the fight for Mosul as they defend the city against a major offensive that began weeks earlier. The spokesman for the U.S.-led anti-IS coalition said in a statement Friday he could not confirm the Russian claim.” http://apne.ws/2rCXIJ5

THE CONGRESSIONAL BASEBALL SCORE — 11-2, DEMOCRATS WIN.

RACHAEL BADE and KYLE CHENEY bring us the scene from the Congressional Baseball Game at Nationals Park: “Rodney Davis stood in the shadow of the Nationals Park scoreboard and wiped away a tear. Just a day earlier, the Republican congressman from Illinois — and catcher for the Republican congressional baseball team — watched his colleague Steve Scalise, the House majority whip, get shot on a practice baseball field in Virginia, while other lawmakers and aides scrambled for cover. …

“‘This is what our country needs after such a tragic act,’ said Davis, his arm still scabbed and scraped from diving away from the gunman’s bullets on Wednesday….Florida Democrat Charlie Crist was spotted walking around in a suit, a young staffer trailing him carrying his suit jacket.” http://politi.co/2ttQWGH

— COLD WATER ALERT. This is a kumbaya moment — and we’d emphasize moment. It is, of course, impossible to predict the future. Remember: a gunman shot then-Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords in the head. Nothing changed. We’re skeptical much will change this time. Speaker Paul Ryan told Jake Tapper on CNN that “we can have different ideas without being vitriolic.” Yes, they can. But there is no evidence to show they will. We hope we’re wrong.

TAPPER had a joint interview with Ryan and Nancy Pelosi, and Anderson Cooper had Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer. A good night for CNN.

— COOPER got this gem of an interaction. Classic line from McConnell when asked about Trump calling the investigation a witch hunt: COOPER: "President Trump made a statement last night with Congressman Scalise. It was getting bipartisan praise for his tone. Today tweeting about — calling this a witch hunt against him, just talking about the people leading it being disturbed, I think was his term, or conflicted. Is that appropriate? MCCONNELL: "I typically don't comment on the president's tweeting habits." COOPER: "Do you think it is a witch hunt?" MCCONNELL: "I don't have any observations about that. We had here an example of a horrendous event that we all condemn, and we're here together tonight to make the point to the American people that there's a whole lot of cooperation in the Congress, even though it may not be covered, on a daily basis."

THE WHITE HOUSE SHOWED UP! — “At congressional baseball game, newfound unity has its limits,” by Yahoo’s Hunter Walker: “As she talked to Yahoo News, [Kellyanne] Conway spotted top White House adviser Gary Cohn, who was in a dark suit. She called Cohn over. ‘Look how Gary Cohn dresses for a baseball game. He dresses like Gary Cohn! Gary come here!’ Conway beckoned. ‘He came out of the womb looking like that,’ quipped Mulvaney as Cohn strolled over. ‘This is New York chic,’ said Cohn, a former Goldman Sachs banker. As Cohn posed for photos with Conway, Mulvaney reached over and put an LSU hat on his head. Cohn couldn’t see the cap. ‘Does it make me a hillbilly?’ Cohn asked. ‘We couldn’t make you a hillbilly if we tried,’ Mulvaney said.” https://yhoo.it/2ttWtNu

NYT NATIONAL BASEBALL WRITER TYLER KEPNER on the game. Good nugget: “A record 24,959 tickets were sold for the charity exhibition — a higher attendance than Thursday’s major league games in Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Minnesota and Oakland.” http://nyti.ms/2rmUQAK

THE LATEST ON SCALISE — RACHAEL BADE: “House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, the Louisiana Republican shot during a congressional baseball practice Wednesday, is doing better but remains in critical condition and will be hospitalized for an extended period of time, according to a statement from his doctors. MedStar Washington Hospital Center said in a statement Thursday evening that Scalise underwent another surgery ‘related to his internal injuries and a broken bone in his leg.’ ‘He remains in critical condition, but has improved in the last 24 hours,’ the statement said. ‘The Congressman will require additional operations, and will be in the hospital for some time. At the request of the family, we will continue to provide periodic updates.’” Bade on the emotional times on the Hillhttp://politi.co/2swDk15

— KEY LINE HERE: Scalise will be hospitalized for an “extended period of time.” This will be a long recovery.

THE NEXT FRONTIER — “Rattled by shooting, lawmakers want more personal protection,” by Seung Min Kim and Rachael Bade: “Lawmakers are debating a range of heightened security measures following Wednesday’s shooting that critically injured House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, with a growing number of Republicans even seeking to carry their own guns into the Capitol for personal safety. Rattled by the mass shooting by a gunman with an apparent political agenda, lawmakers are struggling with how to balance ensuring security for members of Congress while keeping themselves accessible to voters.

“The gamut of options includes new rules ramping up the law enforcement presence at big group events with lawmakers, equipping Capitol Police with more advanced weapons, and allowing individual members to spend taxpayer or campaign dollars on personal security measures. And several GOP lawmakers want the green light to bring their personal firearms onto Capitol grounds, a move that immediately alarmed Democrats who favor tougher gun restrictions.” http://politi.co/2ry7KQy

— MANY LAWMAKERS have mused about each getting their own Capitol Police officer. But that would be a hugely pricey government expense.

ON THE ALLEGED GUNMAN — “Scalise Gunman Dodged 2006 Charge That Would Bar Gun Purchases,” by Bloomberg’s Ari Natter: “James Hodgkinson, 66, was arrested after a 2006 incident in which he was accused of beating his foster daughter, according to court records. The case crumbled after the victim decided not to testify … Under federal law, someone found guilty of domestic battery of a family member can be barred from legally owning a firearm.” https://bloom.bg/2ttKeR1

WAPO’S ASHLEY PARKER, the pride of Montgomery County, scooped that Vice President Mike Pence has hired Richard Cullen, the chairman of McGuireWoods, to represent him. http://wapo.st/2s7VoNEMATT NUSSBAUM reminds us that McGuireWoods also once employed Jim Comey! And the firm also currently represents former Rep. Aaron Schock, who is facing 24 counts of criminal charges related to alleged crimes during his time in office.

SCOOP — “Trump transition officials ordered to save Russia documents,” by Josh Dawsey: “Aides and volunteers on Donald Trump’s presidential transition were instructed Thursday to save any records related to ‘several pending investigations into potential attempts by Russia interests to influence the 2016 election,’ according to a memo provided to POLITICO. In the memo from a transition lawyer, campaign officials were told to preserve all documents related to the Russian Federation, Ukraine and a number of campaign advisers and officials, including former campaign manager Paul Manafort, advisers Carter Page, Rick Gates and Roger Stone, and former national security adviser Gen. Michael Flynn.” http://politi.co/2sFQA36

— GOLDEN BOY ALERT: “Special counsel is investigating Jared Kushner’s business dealings,” by WaPo’s Sari Horowitz, Matt Zapotosky and Adam Entous: “FBI agents and federal prosecutors have also been examining the financial dealings of other Trump associates, including former national security adviser Michael Flynn, former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Carter Page, who was listed as a foreign-policy adviser for the campaign.” http://wapo.st/2shPVCa

THE PUSHBACK –“Rosenstein prods media for ‘anonymous allegations’ on Russia probe,” by Darren Samuelsohn: “A top Trump Justice Department official issued an unusual, vague statement Thursday night, casting doubt on a series of recent media reports detailing Special Counsel Robert Mueller's growing probe into the Trump campaign for potential collusion with Russia in the 2016 campaign. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appeared to be taking issue with recent Washington Post and New York Times stories that President Donald Trump himself is now the subject of an obstruction of justice probe, as well as a separate new report from the Post that Mueller is looking into White House senior adviser and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner’s finances. …

"’Americans should exercise caution before accepting as true any stories attributed to anonymous ‘officials,’ particularly when they do not identify the country – let alone the branch or agency of government – with which the alleged sources supposedly are affiliated,’ Rosenstein said. ‘Americans should be skeptical about anonymous allegations. The Department of Justice has a long-established policy to neither confirm nor deny such allegations.’

“Rosenstein’s statement caught many in Washington off guard, in part because it was so generic and didn't actually specify which news reports it was addressing. It’s also notable because of who issued it: With Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused from all things related to the Russia probe, Rosenstein as the No. 2 DOJ official has the reins over the Mueller probe. He’ll get Mueller’s budget and he also has the power to block major investigative steps — with the caveat he must report to Congress if that happens.” http://politi.co/2ttUBEo

–@jbarro: “The Washington Post has updated the Kushner story to reflect the officials cited are indeed U.S. officials.”

JOSH DAWSEY, “White House aides fret over Trump’s Russia probe obsession”: “The greatest threat to Trump and his presidency, say administration officials and outside advisers, comes from his own conduct and obsessive behavior after he took office. While congressional and FBI investigations may prove Trump or his team broke laws before he took office, his advisers say they’re more worried that the things he’s done since the inauguration may have left him exposed to obstruction of justice or other charges. Trump, for months, has bristled almost daily about the ongoing probes. He has sometimes, without prompting, injected. ‘I’m not under investigation’ into conversations with associates and allies. He has watched hours of TV coverage every day — sometimes even storing morning news shows on his TiVo to watch in the evening — and complained nonstop.” http://politi.co/2sFWm4N

THE COUNSEL — “Mueller, Known for Being Above the Fray, Is Now in the Thick of It,” by NYT’s Scott Shane and Charlie Savage: “Veterans of past Washington battles on the borders of law and politics said that the president’s pushback was to be expected, but that its ferocity and timing were unusual. Just one month into the job, Mr. Mueller has not yet finished hiring staff members or installing a computer network — deliberately segregated from the main Justice Department — in the Patrick Henry Building in downtown Washington.

“‘It’s early in the game to begin to impugn the prosecutors,’ said Philip Allen Lacovara, a Watergate prosecutor and a Republican. ‘It’s a pre-emptive nuclear strike. If you’re afraid of what the prosecutors are going to find out, you try to debunk anything they might come up with in advance by attacking them.’” http://nyti.ms/2shLOX2

JUST POSTED — POLITICO MAGAZINE'S TIM ALBERTA: "Man on a Wire: Mike Pence’s Tightrope Act… He might be the most consequential vice president ever. He could well be the next commander in chief. And the one person in America he can’t have thinking about that is his boss." http://politi.co/2tunArX

SHOCKING! — “Senate likely to miss its Obamacare repeal deadline,” by Jen Haberkorn: “Senate Republicans are getting dangerously close to missing their deadline to hold a Senate health care vote by month’s end, potentially derailing fulfillment of their seven-year-old campaign promise to repeal Obamacare. The Senate left Washington on Thursday with a seemingly insurmountable health care to-do list: When they return on Monday, Republicans will have just two weeks before the Fourth of July recess to overcome the remaining big divides on policy – including what year to roll back Medicaid expansion and how deeply to cut the program that covers health care for low-income people. They also must settle on how to bring down health insurance premiums and when to cut the taxes that paid for Obamacare — not to mention the vexing issue of whether to defund Planned Parenthood.” http://politi.co/2rDiWGu

ALEX ISENSTADT, “GOP sirens blaze over Georgia special election”: “The GOP is bracing for the prospect of a loss in Tuesday’s Georgia’s special election that could have far-reaching implications for President Donald Trump and his party’s fortunes in 2018. As grim confidential polling data circulates among GOP strategists, interviews with nearly two dozen Republican operatives and officials reveal that they are preparing for the possibility of an unnerving defeat that could spur lawmakers to distance themselves from Trump and his already-troubled legislative agenda, and potentially encourage a wave of retirements. …

“While Republicans privately lampoon Ossoff’s campaign skills — deriding him as an inexperienced, talking-point driven candidate — they acknowledge his cash advantage has made him a lethal opponent. ‘We’re going to find out if a monkey banging cymbals together spending $25 million can get elected,’ the NRCC’s executive director John Rogers told a group of Capitol Hill chiefs of staff this week, said one person present for the meeting. His meaning was clear to those in attendance: Ossoff might seem like a mechanical candidate, but he had to be taken seriously.” http://politi.co/2rxCDoc

SORRY MEGYN! Alex Jones says he will release a tape of his entire day with Megyn Kelly tonight. http://bit.ly/2swg9mM Her interview is slated to run Sunday.

FASCINATING LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES — “At Last, Jeff Bezos Offers a Hint of His Philanthropic Plans,” by NYT’s Robert Frank: Jeff Bezos, the founder and chief executive of Amazon, is well on his way to becoming the richest person in the world, with a net worth of more than $80 billion. What’s less certain is what he plans to do with his fortune, and how he could reinvent philanthropy.

“On Thursday, after questions from The New York Times about the level of his giving, Mr. Bezos posted on Twitter a ‘request for ideas’ for philanthropy. ‘I’m thinking about a philanthropy strategy that is the opposite of how I mostly spend my time — working on the long term,’ he wrote. ‘For philanthropy, I find I’m drawn to the other end of the spectrum: the right now.’” http://nyti.ms/2rncunL

TRUMP INC. — “With shift on Cuba, Trump could undercut his company’s hotel-industry rivals,” by WaPo’s Drew Harwell and Jonathan O'Connell: “[A]s the owner of a real estate company with a big stake in hotels and resorts, Trump brings an added element to an issue that is unique to his presidency — the ability, through his official actions, to undermine a growth area for his industry rivals who have raced in recent years to establish a foothold in a lucrative new market. Starwood Hotels and Resorts, which merged with Marriott International to form the world’s largest hotel chain, last year debuted the first Cuban hotel managed by a U.S. company in nearly 60 years, taking advantage of President Barack Obama’s 2014 move to normalize relations with Cuba and lighten regulations enforcing the U.S. embargo on the island.” http://wapo.st/2sFYZUg

K-STREET FILES — “Sudan Ramps Up Washington Lobbying as Sanctions Deadline Looms,” by Bloomberg’s Jen Jacobs and Nick Wadhams: “Sudan is on the cusp of ending its long status as a pariah in Washington, and the African nation is bolstering its stable of lobbyists to ensure that it happens soon. The government of President Umar al-Bashir — which is listed by the U.S. as a state sponsor of terrorism — has hired Washington law firm Squire Patton Boggs LLP at a cost of $40,000 a month to lobby on its behalf as part of its accelerating campaign to ensure that President Donald Trump permanently lifts sanctions against the country ahead of a deadline next month, according to a filing with the Justice Department.” https://bloom.bg/2t8WIhP

BREAKING LATE LAST NIGHT — “Trump won’t alter status of current Dreamers,” by Josh Gerstein: “President Donald Trump’s administration has issued its most explicit promise to date that so-called Dreamers can keep their permission to work legally in the U.S. ‘No work permits will be terminated prior to their current expiration dates,’ the Department of Homeland Security said in guidance posted on its website Thursday night. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly has said recently that the administration is not seeking to deport those who received quasi-legal status under a policy President Barack Obama adopted in 2012. However, the new statement from DHS seems to be a forward-looking promise not to take action against those in the program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA, an initiative for undocumented immigrants who entered the country as children.” http://politi.co/2shGwLc

LISTEN IN — The Pollsters — Kristen Soltis Anderson and Margie Omero — had Anna on their podcast to talk all things Playbook. The bipartisan duo is @thepollsters on Twitter and Facebook. Listen and subscribehttp://apple.co/2jJaEKU

HOW A STREET IN BROOKLYN IS CHANGING THE ENERGY GRID: The shared economy is flourishing, with companies like Airbnb and Lyft capitalizing on the growing popularity of shared services. Can their success be replicated in the energy industry? In the latest installment of POLITICO Magazine’s “What Works” series, we look at Brooklyn-based LO3 that devised a micro grid system that uses a phone app and smart meters to enable neighbors with solar panels to strike deals amongst themselves on the amount of electricity they buy from each other and at what price. We also look at the revitalization of Tampa, Florida – a broken down deep water port revitalized after 40 years of public and private investment. Read more on Tampa’s revitalizationhttp://politi.co/2tsAvuq … about Brooklyn’s energy gridhttp://politi.co/2rwOymb … Photo galleryhttp://politi.co/2szxlsj

OUT AND ABOUT — POOL REPORT: “President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended the official investiture ceremony for Justice Neil Gorsuch Thursday afternoon at the Supreme Court. After the other eight justices took their seats on the dais, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein presented the Justice’s commission, which was read by the court’s clerk. Chief Justice Roberts then administered the judicial oath to Justice Gorsuch. The courtroom was filled with friends and family of the Justice, as well as his devoted clerks Mike Davis, Jameel Jaffer, Janie Nitze, Matt Owen, and David Feder.”

TRANSITIONS – KIKI BURGER has started at PR firm Sunshine Sachs, where she’s helping manage political and non-profit clients out of their LA office. She is an alum of Rock the Vote and Susan G. Komen. … Linda Chavez, the president of the Becoming American Institute and a syndicated columnist, has joined the Niskanen Center as a senior fellow.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD — POLITICO night editor Craig Howie (who helps edit Playbook on the weekend), and wife, Niki, a landscape designer at Through the Garden, early this morning welcomed Leif Diño Howie, born 2:52 a.m. in Winchester, Va., to 7lb 14oz. “Everyone happy and healthy hooray!” Pichttp://bit.ly/2si1VUo

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Phil Singer, CEO and founder of Marathon Strategies. How he’s celebrating: “Israel. Kim and I are taking the kids on their first big overseas trip.” How he thinks the Trump presidency is going: “Amazing if you work at the Kremlin.” Read his Playbook Plus Q&A:http://politi.co/2sGn8db